She wolf, Symbol of Siena

Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena. (See the duomo designed with black and white stripes.) The recurrent symbol is the She-wolf with suckling children. According to an ancient legend, Siena was founded by Remus’ sons, Senius and Aschius, who left Rome with the statue of the she-wolf, stolen from Apollo’s temple. The symbolic colors of the city derive as well from these two legendary founders--Aschius rode a black horse and Senius rode a white one.